TBRFC 16

Chapter 16

“L-Lady Ruby?”

Miel and Soya jerked their heads toward the doorway in shock.

Ruby was standing there proudly, chin raised high.

After quickly sweeping her gaze across the lounge, she strode toward me, where I was leaning against the sofa.

“Wow, you actually found me way faster than I expected?”

But after only a few steps, she abruptly stopped.

Her sparkling eyes narrowed as she looked around.

The furniture here was modest compared to the rest of the mansion.

The wallpaper had faded, and the rug on the floor was old and worn.

This was the servants’ lounge.

Ruby covered her nose with one hand and muttered,

“…Ugh. It smells like commoners.”

Without realizing it, my lips parted slightly.

Like mother, like daughter.

While I was thinking that, Ruby crooked her finger at me.

“You. Come here. I don’t want to go any farther inside.”

I quickly hid my expression.

Then, acting reluctant, I climbed down from the sofa.

When I obediently approached her, a strange victorious smile spread across Ruby’s face.

“You’re pretty obedient, huh? I was worried you might act arrogantly.”

“Mm… but, um…”

As I timidly opened my mouth, Ruby frowned.

I hesitated for a moment before gesturing for her to come closer.

Ruby looked uncertain briefly.

But eventually, she leaned her head toward me.

I whispered into her ear.

“Could it maybe be your smell, unni…?”

Ruby froze stiff.

She stared at me in disbelief.

“What?”

I scratched my head awkwardly.

“Well… you said it smells bad here. But Lia doesn’t smell like anything at all.”

Then I stared straight at her.

“So that means the bad smell must probably be…”

Ruby’s face flushed bright red from the bottom up.

I smiled at her generously, as if reassuring her not to worry.

“It’s okay, unni. You just forgot to brush your teeth, right? Don’t worry! I’ll lend you my toothpaste!”

“M-M-Mother!”

Camilla immediately whipped her head around at Ruby’s voice.

Her daughter stood at the entrance to the drawing room, face burning red.

“Ruby!”

Camilla jumped to her feet and hurried over to inspect her daughter.

She had only told her to tour the estate, but somehow the neatly braided hair had already come partially undone, as if she had been running around.

“T-That girl, seriously, seriously…!”

Ruby sputtered furiously before finally shrieking,

“A mere commoner, a stupid orphan, dared to—!!”

Camilla’s eyes widened.

“She did what to you?! Don’t tell me that crazy brat hit you?!”

Ruby faltered.

Then she recalled what had just happened.

“What… what did you say?!”

Ruby Coel.

The precious only daughter of the Marquis Coel family.

A brilliant and clever child who had always obtained whatever she wanted since birth.

‘Duchess Abner? In the end, that woman was nothing more than an ordinary socialite clinging to her husband.’

Ruby had always trusted and followed her mother, Camilla.

‘Money exists to be spent like this, Ruby. You display your power with it.’

‘Display it?’

‘Exactly. There’s nothing in this world that money can’t buy! Just look at your mother. I even bought Sharon Abner’s heart with money.’

Sharon Abner.

The current duchess of the Abner family—but beneath that title, she was merely a weary old woman.

‘That woman’s ambition is too great for her to ever abandon the family. At the very least, she would never hand it over to Jayden Abner.’

So what would happen if someone as beautiful and intelligent as herself appeared before such a woman?

‘Just act the way you do with me. Do you think a ducal title is so easy to obtain? Sharon is still a woman in the end. Her daughter died, and she’s been living with a violent son—imagine the headaches she must have endured.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Of course! And given her age, those rumors about her searching for an heir are probably true too. If you ask me, that position belongs to you.’

Ruby believed it completely.

Who wouldn’t love a pretty, smart girl like me?

She had always assumed that one day she would live within the Abner household.

And when that happened, everything precious in the Abner family would become hers.

But then—

“You’re insane! Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are talking to like that?!”

Ruby completely lost her temper and violently shoved Annelia.

The much smaller child staggered backward immediately.

But even then, she didn’t avert her eyes.

“How dare a filthy-smelling commoner say something like that to me?!”

Sparks seemed to fly in Ruby’s eyes.

And because she had never been patient, her hand moved before she could think.

“Uwaaah!”

Before the slap could even land, the child suddenly tumbled backward helplessly.

“M-My lady!”

The two maids rushed over, faces pale.

Ruby froze with her hand suspended in the air.

Then she slowly blinked while staring at Annelia sprawled on the floor.

What? Did I hit her?

After thinking for a moment, Ruby finally understood the situation.

“Ha! This little—!”

“Lady Ruby! Even if you’re a noble young lady, you can’t do something like this!”

One maid stepped protectively in front of the commoner child, glaring fiercely at Ruby.

“I didn’t hit her!”

“W-What are you talking about? W-We saw everything from over there! L-Lady Annelia, are you alright?!”

The other maid cradled the fallen child, anxiously checking her over.

“I seriously didn’t—!”

At that moment—

Drip. Drip.

Tears began falling onto the child’s clothes one by one.

Ruby was so dumbfounded that her raised hand slowly dropped.

Curled up in the maid’s arms, the commoner child trembled pitifully as she sniffled.

“A-Annelia’s okay…”

Her voice sounded so sorrowful that simply hearing it made one’s heart ache.

“It’s Annelia’s fault. Because Annelia is just a commoner…”

The child wiped at her tears miserably.

Watching her, Ruby’s eyes immediately sharpened into triangles.

“You’re unbelievably fake.”

Imitating her mother’s usual tone, Ruby stepped forward.

“Fine. Let’s say I did hit you. So what are you going to do about it?”

Then she pointed at the two flustered maids.

“If you were a noble, they would’ve called the guards already. But look. Just like you said—you’re a commoner!”

And this time, she genuinely shoved Annelia hard.

The child, who had barely gotten back up, stumbled and landed hard on the floor again.

“Even if I do this, your maids can’t say a word to me. So what now?”

Ruby planted her hands on her waist smugly.

“The reason the Abner family survived difficult times was because of me! Because of the Coel family!”

“……”

“And the only reason the Abners discovered all those magic stone mines was because my mother helped them!”

Ruby grabbed Annelia by the face.

“You think just because they decided to sponsor you, Lady Sharon would like you more than me? Is that why you’re acting so bold?”

“……”

“And look at your clothes. What are you even wearing? Did you pick up a rag from somewhere?”

She yanked hard on the plain white fabric that lacked any decorations or patterns, and a ripping sound came from the stitching near the collar.

Ruby sneered inwardly.

I was a little worried after hearing another child had entered the Abner household besides me.

But seeing the girl now, it was obvious the sponsorship was merely for appearances.

Otherwise there’s no way she’d look this pathetic.

Within a noble estate, a lady’s standing could often be judged simply by the clothes she wore.

That was what all the women teaching Ruby etiquette had told her.

The last traces of guilt in Ruby’s heart disappeared.

“Since you’re not a noble, you probably don’t understand, so I’ll teach you.”

Ruby raised one hand high.

“My mother says commoners aren’t people. That’s why they only understand when disciplined with violence.”

This time, Ruby’s hand truly flew toward Annelia’s cheek.

But the one struck was not Annelia.

“…What?”

Ruby stared blankly at the maid who had suddenly stepped in front of her.

“What are you? Move.”

“I-I’ll take the hit instead.”

Ruby’s eyes widened, then quickly turned vicious.

A mocking smile spread across her innocent yet cruel face.

“Fine. Then do it.”

Behind the maid, Annelia stared at her in shock.